Israel agrees for a 3-hour halt of attacks on Gaza

Tel Aviv: It’s the eleventh day of the Israeli strikes on Gaza and Tel Aviv has agreed to halt the attacks for three hours.

The pause will allow supplies and aid to Gaza residents.

Pressure is also building on Israel and Hamas to accept an Egyptian and French ceasefire proposal.

Israel said it will consider the proposal but it is also likely to discuss plans for escalating its operations.

Palestinian officials say Hamas is also debating the proposal which includes cutting off arms supply to Hama from Egypt.

Meanwhile, the death toll after has crossed 600.

Israel on Tuesday rejected a European Union (EU) request for a 48-hour ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, vowing to push ahead the offensive till security is restored to the south.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday told visiting EU foreign ministers that any ceasefire agreement must force Hamas to end its incessant rocket attacks on Israel.

The local media quoted him as saying that "we demand action that will bring security to the residents of Israel's south".

Referring to the increasing range of the rockets fired by Gazan militants, Olmert stressed: "The most important thing from our standpoint is to stop the smuggling and the strengthening of Hamas."

Meanwhile, the premier called on the delegation, led by the Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, to support a US-led regional initiative that would see Egypt take control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-km frontier with the strip and prevent arms-smuggling into Gaza.

Earlier, the EU delegation on Monday met Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who also turned down their call for an immediate ceasefire, saying that Israel has to "change the equation" in which “Hamas fires at Israel and Israel responds with restraint”.

From now on, "when Israel is being targeted, Israel is going to retaliate", Livni said.

Late Tuesday, Olmert told visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy that the Israeli operation is not aimed at eliminating Hamas, but to bring security to its southern land.

Analysts have said Israel's ultimate goal is to reach a lasting ceasefire on more favourable conditions.